Debt Management Advice - Understanding Credit Scores

Having a bad credit score is just about everybody’s worst finance nightmare and something that we all wish to avoid. It gives the impression that you are not to be trusted (with money anyway), and nobody wants to hear that about themselves. Appreciating that good credit scores are based on trust and keeping (financial) promises means that there are ways of improving less than optimal credit ratings.

There seem to be a lot of stories going around about how a debt management program can hurt your credit scores. Usually, if you have a bad credit score this is something that is a result of not paying your creditors - not because you are involved in a debt management program. The debt management program is a symptom of dealing with the problem, not the actual cause.

When you already have a bad credit score going into a debt management program it is good to know that it can really only get better. When you join a debt management program the agency which assists you reports this. It can actually be evidence of your willingness to commit to and follow a payment plan to rid yourself of liability to creditors. If you are able to show you are trustworthy by meeting your monthly payments and maybe even paying some extra, they can report you as a good willing payer which effects your credit score in a positive way.

Although it can take a very little time to completely destroy your credit score, it can take a long while to restore it. Once a negative report on your payment behavior has been made, it stays there for seven years. Even though your credit score in numbers goes back up if you are sensible about paying out the debt, a negative comment may remain. Of course once you have shown that you are a payer that sticks to the deal that has been made, the negative credit history will be positively influenced.

Getting into business with a debt management company, or taking out a consolidated loan might result in reduced interest rates and lower payments allowing you to better meet your monthly obligations. This will in turn reduce the amount of time until you are completely debt-free which, of course, is good for your credit score.

As stated above, joining a debt management program isn’t of itself a factor which will negatively influence your credit score. It is merely a consequence of the debt that has led to your low score in the first place. However, faithfully participating in a debt reduction program which leads to payment of all your creditors in fact it can have a positive effect on your credit score.

In order to keep track of your credit score and be on top of your credit reputation it might be an idea to join a service which provides you with information about your credit. Then you can check where your rating is up to every now and again to know exactly where you stand.